Ringside View | Portugal's Greatest Mistake Was Making The World Cup About Cristiano Ronaldo

Portugal did not lose because Cristiano Ronaldo played for them. They lost because everything they did was about him. Roberto Martinez had a crack team when they came to the World Cup. They had a team that could win it all. And it was not because of Cristiano Ronaldo. It was because of all the players they had. Vitinha was one of the midfielders in Europe. Bruno Fernandes was playing well. Bernardo Silva was one of the top players in the world. Rafael Leao could score against any team. Joao Neves had a lot of energy. Was not afraid to try new things. This was not a team that relied on one player. They had a lot of players.

But something changed. People started talking about Cristiano Ronaldo all the time. They talked about his goals, his records and his last games. The World Cup was no longer about Portugal, it was about Cristiano Ronaldo.

BBC pundit Chris Sutton said, "He's waddling around the field like a grandad, that's why Portugal are out". The game was no longer the thing, it was all about Cristiano Ronaldo. When Portugal played against DR Congo they had the ball most of the time.. They did not do much with it.

They did not have a rhythm, and their movements seemed forced. Every time they tried to attack it seemed like they were asking themselves "Can we get the ball to Cristiano Ronaldo?"

Thierry Henry pointed out one time when Bruno Fernandes was about to make a play.. Then Cristiano Ronaldo got in the way hoping to get the ball.

Henry said, "The team needs to score, not you." He was not trying to be mean he just wanted to remind everyone that great teams play together, they do not just follow one player.

The coach, Roberto Martinez did not make the decisions. He did not want to take Cristiano Ronaldo out of the game even when it seemed like a good idea.

Fernando Santos, the former coach, had taken Cristiano Ronaldo out of a game during a World Cup match in 2022. Roberto Martinez did not do that.

Infact, BBC pundit Chris Sutton said, "What is Roberto Martinez doing? Why is he giving so much attention to one player?"

Martinez said, "When you need a goal, you cannot take out Cristiano Ronaldo."

That is not how it works in international football. You have to be able to change and adapt. Portugal did not do that. They just kept playing the way with Cristiano Ronaldo as the main player. Their front line did not move much. Their midfielders just looked for ways to get the ball to Cristiano Ronaldo.

They stopped creating their chances and just waited for something to happen. The numbers show what happened. When Cristiano Ronaldo was not playing, Portugal was a team. They passed the ball faster they moved around more. They scored more goals.

Cristiano Ronaldo is still a great player, but he is nowhere near where he used to be. Other teams do not fear him as much as they used to.

Every time Portugal played, it felt like the game was not the thing. It was all about Cristiano Ronaldo. People wore his jersey and masks. They cheered every time he touched the ball. Even when Portugal won, people still talked about why Cristiano Ronaldo had not scored.

The team was hidden behind their captain. Perhaps the team's story got lost. Their midfield was great, their positioning was smart, and their technical skills were amazing.

Nobody talked about that. They just talked about Cristiano Ronaldo. The players who could have been the stars of this team were relegated to the background.

When Portugal played against Spain, they were great for a while. Then they started to fall back and defend. They lost the ball, and Spain scored.

After the game Bruno Fernandes said that they had made mistakes and that the team had not played to their strengths.

Roberto Martinez was fired after. Cristiano Ronaldo wasted no time to talk up his contribution to the nation.

He said, "I have won three titles for Portugal. Before me Portugal had not won anything."

That was not what this World Cup was about. It was about the team, not one player. Cristiano's place in football history is secure. But it is the team that wins games, not just one player. Portugal spent the World Cup trying to make Cristiano Ronaldo happy. They forgot about the great team they had.

That is the greatest irony. The best way to honour Cristiano Ronaldo would have been to build a team that could win without him. Instead of doing that, they just built a team, around him. What will hurt them more than the loss to Spain is the way they lost their identity.